The King and The Princess
by RoniMikaelson
Summary: A one-shot chronicling some of the most important moments between Black Bolt and Crystal as they both grow into being the King and Princess of Attilan


**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize I do not own.**

 **A/N Hello and thank you to everyone who decided to take the time to click on my story. This is my first time writing Inhumans, but I hope I do the characters justice. I decided to write this to explore the relationship between Black Bolt and Crystal that is only touched upon in the show so far. Black Bolt is incredibly close to and protective of Medusa, who in turn they have made a point of showing is incredibly protective over Crystal, and I would think Black Bolt would share in that, to some extent. Also, they say Crystal is the princess of Attilan, as if she's next in line for the throne should something happen to her sister and brother-in-law, yet that doesn't happen in real life. Siblings of queens that marry into a royal family don't get to actually be part of the royal family, unless I'm severely mistaken. So does that mean Black Bolt actually _made_ her Princess of Attilan, showing a lot of trust and affection for her? A** **nyway, the show doesn't explore the relationship nearly as much as I would like, so I took matters into my own hands.**

 **Also, it should be noted, I picture Crystal as being about ten years younger than Medusa and maybe eleven/twelve years younger than Black Bolt. From the flashbacks to when Medusa and Black Bolt were teenagers, Crystal looked to be about five, so that's what I'm going with. Also the actress for Crystal (Isabelle Cornish) is ten years younger than the actress for Medusa (Serinda Swan) in real life, so there's that.**

 **I apologize for the long author's note, but I hope I haven't lost anyone's interest with it.**

 **Please read, enjoy and review!**

* * *

Crystal is five years old when she is told her parents are 'gone'. She doesn't know exactly what that means. What place is there to go, besides Attilan? All she knows it that mom and dad aren't coming back. All she knows is that her older sister, Medusa, is gripping her hand and running from the room, forcing her to run to keep up with her. All she knows is that what she knew before is gone.

For many long nights afterwards, she can only lie in bed and clutch her favorite stuffed dog for comfort. For many long days afterwards, she sees people staring at her, whispering and pointing at her and Medusa. Medusa tells her to ignore them. It's nearly impossible to, but she tries her best to keep her head up like Medusa does. Medusa is the only person she has now, she knows that, even if she still doesn't completely understand why mom isn't tucking her in at night or why dad isn't telling her stories or why people avoid them like they're caught some kind of horrible disease.

Then, something changes. Crystal can almost feel it in the air, the scent of change, the feeling of hope. Medusa comes into their apartment, a rare smile on her face, playing with her long red hair like a giggly little girl. Crystal doesn't know a whole lot, but she knows when something good has happened.

Crystal nags Medusa throughout the older girl's attempt at dinner (she's getting better, nothing tastes too burnt that time). She pleads over the meal, only to be reminded to eat and not talk with her mouth open, as its not ladylike. She's nearly on her hands and knees begging as Medusa tucks her in (not as good as mom used to, but she tries). Finally, Medusa makes her swear to keep a secret and Crystal agrees, if only to get the information out of her.

Medusa had met the young king of Attilan, the one that stays locked away in a strange little room. People whisper about him too. The monster. The boy who is so powerful he could kill them all, so unlike his human brother that people whisper about as well. People whisper about a lot of things, Crystal has learned.

But, Medusa tells her in lieu of a story that night, he's not a monster. He's just a boy. A cute boy, she admits, and Crystal gags at the thought of her sister falling in love with some _stupid boy_. He's just a young king with the whole city on his shoulder, guilt in his heart and no voice with which to vent his troubles, but Medusa tells Crystal he's important to her. Crystal gets the message, loud and clear: her sister has a crush on some boy. She wonders if the change if good after all, if it means her sister acting like that.

"Will I have to share my toys with this... _Black Bolt_?" She asks as Medusa finally starts to tuck her in again, their nighttime conversation about the young king coming to a close.

"No." Medusa scoffed, throwing her stuffed dog at her and walking out the bedroom, flicking off the light without warning.

Mom always used to let her go to sleep before she left her in the dark, but Crystal doesn't remind Medusa of this as her sister's figure disappears into the shadows of the hallway. She learned not to after Medusa lost her temper one night. Talking about mom and dad is strictly forbidden, Crystal had learned without Medusa telling her in so many words. Just like she learned in mere days that simply saying Black Bolt's name would get her sister to giggle, blush a violent red and throw a pillow at her to shut her up.

Crystal was only five, but she knew a lot more than people gave her credit for.

* * *

Crystal is almost seven years old before she finally gets to meet the mysterious Black Bolt. The young king has finally created his whole language with Medusa, has finally allowed himself out into society once and has finally gathered the courage to ask Medusa's hand in marriage. Upon her eager acceptance comes one more challenge: the younger sister.

Black Bolt knew of her, just as Crystal knew of him. He knew that his parents had banished their parents. He knew that Medusa cared for Crystal more than she cared for her own life, not that the thick-skinned, crazy haired future Queen of Attlian would say so out loud. He knew that Crystal meant a lot and his parents had instilled in him that first impressions were everything. That didn't exactly explain why he was so nervous to meet a child, though. He was a king. He should've had more confidence, yet he found himself brushing off his jacket and trying to flatten his hair as Medusa led him towards her apartment, chattering away as usual. He couldn't speak, but that only made him a better listener.

The apartment door opens and Black Bolt sets eyes on the oh-so important Crystal. She's just a tiny little blonde haired girl, playing idly on the floor with a rather old looking stuffed animal. She looks up with an expression of boredom as the two enter the room. Her blue eyes land on Black Bolt and a smile crosses her face. In the next instant, she's across the room, examining him like he's an interesting specimen and bombarding him with questions.

"So you're Black Bolt? I thought you'd be cuter. Are you _really_ the king of Attilan? Can I see your powers? Can you you really-?"

"Alright, enough!" Medusa snaps, a red heat flooding into her cheeks, though Black Bolt can't tell if it's from anger or embarrassment.

 _She's alright._ Black Bolt signs at the red haired younger woman, which seems to ease her tension slightly.

"What's that? Is that that thing you and Medusa do? Can I learn that code or is it just for boyfriends and girlfriends?" Crystal looked between her sister and future brother in law with wide, questioning eyes and Black Bolt has to bite down hard on his tongue to keep from laughing and destroying the entire room.

"Alright, enough!" Medusa repeats in exasperation. "Why don't you go to your room for a while while Black Bolt and I-."

Black Bolt never learns what he and Medusa were to do, because Crystal's eyes lit up and she grabbing his hand, tugging him towards the back of the apartment.

"I have to show him my room."

"No, you don't! Crystal!" Medusa looks to be at the end of her metaphorical rope and moves forward to dislodge Crystal's grip on Black Bolt, but Black Bolt waves her off with his free hand. She stays in her place as Crystal pulls the king down the hallway, looking both bewildered and annoyed at the same time.

Black Bolt gets the full tour of the little room Crystal calls her own, being shown everything from the window to her rug to favorite pillow on her bed. As the tour comes to an end at last, Crystal settles down cross-legged on the bed and looks at him expectantly as he stands awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"So you're gonna marry Medusa?" She questions. He nods once and is greeted with a look of utter despair in response. "You're gonna take her away from me." Suddenly the little girl is crying as she hugs her favorite pillow like a lifeline and Black Bolt has no idea what to do with her.

He casts a glance out towards the hallway, leading so quickly into the living room where Medusa is no doubt still standing, but his pride takes over. If he can't handle one little girl, how is he going to handle an entire kingdom?

He marches himself over to the bed, preparing himself for a war, and sits down on the edge, hesitantly nudging the girl on her shoulder to gain her attention. She finally forces herself back up, sniffling and frowning.

He shakes his head at her, trying to communicate without words or signals that he does not intend to take her sister away from her. He would have better luck at outsmarting Karnak than separating the two, he suspects.

"You're not gonna take her away?" She asks hopefully, eyes beginning to lit up again. He gives her a smile, proud of himself for fixing the admittedly minor problem on his own, and shakes his head again. Her mood seems to instantly improve. "Will I move into the Royal Palace? Will I get to go to all the parties and see all the important things and live with you and Medusa and your family?"

Black Bolt can't help but smile and nod encouragingly to her. He has a sinking feeling in his stomach that she doesn't get out of the small apartment much and that any change will be most welcome to the little girl. Medusa tries, he knows, but he also knows how Medusa feels about the people that whisper about them, seeing them as a danger to her precious sister. He also knows, all too well, how easy it was to lose your mind if you can't see something other than the same four walls every once and a while.

A mischievous smile grows on Crystal's face and suddenly Black Bolt is struck with a pang of fear, wondering what she is thinking.

"You're _the King._ " She says it with a lot of resolve, as if reminding him of his power. That pang of fear grows. "I wanna go out. Medusa doesn't let me out unless she's with me and she's always with you and you owe me." Somehow, she's made Black Bolt feel guilty in under five seconds. The girl may not have gone through terrigenesis yet, but she already has power.

He gives her a pleading look, pleading with her not to get him in trouble with Medusa. Somehow, he already knows this tiny little blonde creature will give him no mercy.

"Take me out. I wanna see Attilan!" She demands with a fierceness that reminds him of Medusa. He supposes she's alike her sister in some ways after all. And when has he ever been able to deny Medusa? Now this little blonde creature has that same power over him, perhaps more, as he fears another crying fit.

He's not even sure if he regrets it or not as he nods to her in agreement. She lets out of a whoop of joy, but then clamps a hand over her mouth and casts a glance towards the living room. With one hand still over her mouth to hold back her giggling, she clambers off the bed and the two begin to sneak out.

Rounding the corner, Black Bolt spots Medusa cleaning up the kitchen. Her hair is setting cups up in the high cabinets while her hands quickly work at scrubbing soapy plates. Her back is to them. The phrase 'now or never' comes to mind.

Black Bolt taps Crystal's shoulder and makes a rather frantic motion towards the front door. Crystal bolts, moving as fast as lightning as she swoops up her stuffed dog, yanks open the front door and is out like a flash. Black Bolt is only a few steps behind her and he hears Medusa call after them but he shuts the door after himself and runs to catch up with the blonde girl giggling at the corner in excitement and joy.

He's going to pay for it later, he's sure of it. But, in that moment, he's strangely okay with upsetting his future wife.

* * *

Crystal is definitely seven years old when she attends the wedding of Medusa and Black Bolt. It's a grand affair, even if some people still whisper and stare and wonder aloud why the king is marrying a 'daughter of _those_ people'.

Crystal enjoys herself immensely, twirling around in a dress nearly as beautiful as Medusa's. There's music and laughter and, best of all, cake. Medusa scolds her table manners, so Crystal does her best to act 'ladylike' in front of the Royal Family and nearly every citizen in Attilan.

After cake, there's dancing. It's the best thing Crystal has ever seen, dozens of people dancing and spinning and keeping in time with the music playing throughout the ballroom. She doesn't have a partner to dance with, though, so she is forced to sit on the edge of her seat next to Medusa and merely watch.

Medusa talks quietly to Black Bolt about things Crystal doesn't understand, nor does she want to. The rest of the Royal Family had cleared out to dance with women that are older, prettier and more important than her. She's nearly given up hope of dancing and given into her elaborate delusions of being like those beautiful older women when a hand pops into view, offered to her.

"Care to dance, my lady?" It's Gorgon, Black Bolt's cousin, the one with hoofs and a knack for breaking things. Medusa stops talking with Black Bolt long enough to cast a worried look at her sister's potential dance partner, but Crystal is grabbing Gorgon's hand and jumping off her chair before her sister can even think to intervene.

"Yes, yes, please!" She agrees and Gorgon laughs before hurrying out to the dance floor with her.

She's a lot smaller than him and the dance is awkward, but full of energy. She spins around and Gorgon dips her a few times like she'd seen him do to other women. She's dizzy and laughing by the time the song ends and she finds herself passed off in a fluid, twirling motion to Triton, another one of Black Bolt's cousins. He's the one that looks like a bit like what history books about earth call a fish, but he's nearly as energetic as Gorgon. He doesn't twirl her as many times and she's not as dizzy when she's passed off his brother, Karnak, but she's learned a few new dance moves. Karnak dances with her, though he's not so much eager as precise about his footing. She trips a few times and thinks she looks rather clumsy next to him, but he just laughs, helps her straighten up and sets heroff on another of those addictive, wonderful twirls that makes her skirt flair out. After Karnak, she finds herself with Maximus, Black Bolt's younger brother. He's had an expression on his face all day that tells everyone who cares to notice that he doesn't want to be there, but Karnak sets her off with a very precise move that sends her knocking into him at the edge of the dance floor and even he can't ignore her pleading and pulling to dance with her.

"The charm of a child." She hears people mutter under their breath from the sidelines.

Maximus entertains her excited dancing for a few moments, but she finds herself tiring out from all the movement and, before she knows it, he's gone and Black Bolt is there instead. Before she can react, he scooped her up in his arms and she thinks for a fleeting moment he's going to hand her off to Medusa and she'll be forced back into her seat, but instead he starts slowly spinning and she's dancing with him holding her instead. She relaxes her now aching muscles and rests her head against his shoulder, smiling at the grand day it had been.

As the partying begins to die down, Medusa is there, saying she's needs to go to bed. But Black Bolt holds her away from Medusa's reaching arms like a child tries to protect a favorite toy and Medusa has to give up momentarily as Gorgon distracts her with a dance.

Crystal is pretty sure she dozes off a few times, but she always awakens to find herself still at the party, still against Black Bolt's shoulder. Medusa eventually comes up to Black Bolt with a silky smile and an offer to dance, with strikes Crystal as some sort of trick to get her out of the safety of her brother in law's arms. Black Bolt nods his agreement, Medusa reaches for Crystal to take her away and then big arms reach over Medusa's head and Black Bolt hands her girl off to Gorgon instead. He traps his new wife's hands in his for a dance and Crystal shoots her sister a very smug look as she's taken away by Gorgon.

Gorgon sets her down at the table they'd been at before, but soon disappears in 'search of women with low standards' Karnak mutters, though Crystal doesn't know what that means. She slumps in her chair, boredom and exhaustion taking over, but perks right up with another plate of cake is slid slyly into the spot in front of her. Medusa had forbidden her another slice, saying the gigantic one she'd had before was more than enough, but Maximus was never one for rules and he and the girl shared a sneaky smile before Crystal digs in.

The sugar in the cake hypes her up again, waking her up. She knows the face of regret as she looks up at Maximus, dragging him onto the dance floor for another round. She doubts he'll ever sneak her another piece of cake again, but she regrets nothing.

Eventually, though, the party is over. The guests are leaving, the servants are coming in to clean the room and the Royal Family heads off to their chambers to retire.

It's Crystal's first time in her new room, right beside Medusa's and Black Bolt's, but big and as unfamiliar as it could be. Medusa, still in her own wedding garb, helps a once again exhausted Crystal into bed clothes and then into her new, large bed. She tosses the soft covers over her younger sister, bids her a goodnight and walks out of the room. Crystal squeezes her eyes shut, preparing for the shutting off of the lights, but opens them again when that doesn't happen. Turning her head, she sees Black Bolt coming over.

"Thank you." She murmurs tiredly and even she's not sure what she's thanking him for. For giving her that night of partying? For the new room? For the chance to be something other than a girl everyone looked down upon? For everything?

But Black Bolt nods his understanding, tucks her in a little tighter and heads off. As he reaches for the light switch, Crystal raises her head.

"Can you leave it on? Just until I go to sleep?" She hadn't dared ask Medusa, lest the subject of their mother come up, but Black Bolt seemed more neutral to the matter. He nods once, leaves the light on and disappears out of the room.

When Crystal wakes up, there is sunlight streaming in through her window and the light above her is off. She wonders briefly what kind of man would actually go back to turn off a light for a little girl he had no reason to care for, but shoves the thought out of her mind as she bolts out of bed to get ready for the first day as an official member of the Royal Family.

* * *

Crystal is ten years old when she's presented with the best thing in all of Attilan: a dog.

 _He was an experiment by the Genetic Council_ , Black Bolt tells her through Medusa, _but he's yours now._

She takes the wriggling, toddler size puppy from Black Bolt and laughs as it licks her face, coating her in slobber.

"He's growing... bigger than usual." Medusa warns from the doorway of Crystal's room, sounding rather unenthusiastic about the whole thing.

The puppy squirms around in Crystal's arms at the sound of Medusa's voice and suddenly Crystal isn't in front of Black Bolt, but in front of her sister, just close enough for the dog to start coating Medusa in its slobber and drool. Medusa lets out a shriek and backpedals away from the puppy and her shocked but laughing sister.

Black Bolt fired off a series of hand motions and Medusa translated in the driest tone any of them had ever heard:

"And it teleports. Isn't that amazing?"

The rest of the day, Crystal spends with Black Bolt and her new pet; Medusa had escaped the first chance she got. The puppy is constantly teleporting around, sending Crystal and Black Bolt off in frantic searches for him around Attilan, as he seemingly has no limit regarding distance. Finally, as the day comes to a close, the puppy is tiring out and the group is gathered once more in Crystal's room to rest.

Crystal decides to name him Lockjaw, after a game of tug of war with him that resulted in her favorite pillow getting torn in half. Black Bolt makes up a new hand motion for the name, just like he had a hand motion for the names of everyone in the Royal Family. And, just like that, there's a new member of the Royal Family.

Lying in bed with Lockjaw that night, Crystal can't help but remember what it was like for her, being new to the family. She feels a certain, strange kinship with this strange little dog. She buries her face in his rough fur and vows that, no matter, he's _hers,_ as the king had decided, albeit against the queen's wishes.

* * *

Crystal is thirteen years old when she goes through the Terrigenesis process.

The Royal Family and Genetic Council stare at her in expectation as she enters the chamber. She's locked in and suddenly she feels a pang of fear. There was no way of telling what she would become. Some sort of disfigured being like Triton? A hybrid like Gorgon? A weapon like Black Bolt?

The unknowns threaten to choke her long before the crystal in dropped into the chamber and the smoke engulfs her. It's as though she's been electrocuted, every part of her part tensing and filled with heat and energy.

Just as suddenly as it engulfed her, the smoke fades and the door clicks open. She finds herself stumbling out on numb legs as everyone looks at her anxiously. Her knees hit the floor before she realizes she's falling. Out of the corner of her eyes, she sees Medusa start forward, but Black Bolt stops her with a single hand. He's watching Crystal, waiting.

For a short moment, Crystal doesn't think anything is different. Then fire errupts from her finger tips where her hands are half risen to push her hair out of face. The fireballs spiral forward before she can even blink and shoot towards the front of the room. Karnak reacts just fast enough to push Triton and Maximus out of the way, but the scorch mark left behind in the wall is enough to make Crystal start to panic.

 _Fire._ What happened to her? Has she become as dangerous as the infamous Mordis?

Crystal scrambles backwards, finally managing to force herself onto her shaking legs, as her family looks on with expressions of barely contained shock.

Lockjaw comes forward, his huge body drawing her eye immediately. Crystal reaches out a hopeful hand to call him towards her, to seek comfort in his rough fur and warm breath. Instead, shards of ice shoot out of her hand and crash against Lockjaw. He whimpers in pain, the sound making Crystal's heart break, and teleports away. She stares at the spot he had been just a second before and feels tears slip down her face. If her one constant companion left her, who would want to be around her?

The Genetic Council is coming forward slowly, trying to surround her. She feels like a trapped animal and, worse, she's starting to sob. She runs from them, intent to get as far away from everyone as possible.

A tendril of hair wraps around her wrist, pulling her to a stop. Medusa comes forward, reaching out a hand. Crystal's eyes go to the new scorch mark on the wall behind the throne and panic flares up in her. Her hand heats up with new flames and Medusa's hair is burned. She and her hair recoil with a hiss of pain and Crystal takes off without an apology, knowing the words wouldn't make it past the lump in her throat anyway.

Everything blurs in front of her and she's not even sure where she is when ice suddenly appears underneath her feet and she's slips. Her body slams against the icy stone floor, her jaw clacks together, her teeth cut into her tongue and she has to roll over to spit out the blood filling her mouth. She's remains on the floor, shaking with sobs, blood in her mouth and entire body aching.

She doesn't know how long she lays there before she hears pounding footsteps. She knows one set is Gorgon, as he's always been loud, and assumes the rest of the family is with him. She pushes herself up onto her shaking arms and eases herself back up onto her knees, sliding backwards on the ice into a corner.

It doesn't take long for the Royal Family to round the corner and find her. She hugs her knees to her chest and buries her face in them, but can't help but peek out as her family draws closer.

Medusa and Gorgon hurry towards her on impulse, but the ice stops them. Or, rather, Karnak grabs Medusa as she begins to slip and allows Gorgon to land so hard on his butt the entire room seems to shake. Gorgon cursed something under his breath; Crystal just hoped it wasn't _her_ he was cursing. Triton and Maximus together manage to pull Gorgon to his feet and back off the dangerous floor Crystal's created.

Medusa tries to yank herself free of Karnak and push on towards her sister, but their cousin holds tight. It's Black Bolt that eases his way forward as she watches in fear. He holds onto the wall with one hand and manages to keep his balance until he comes within arms length of her. His hand is offered to her and she wants nothing more than to take it, but the smell of burned hair has followed Medusa into the room and she refrains herself. Curling in tighter around herself, she wills everything and everyone to go away. It's better if she's left alone.

A hand hits the top of her knee, hard enough she has to look up, if only to swat Black Bolt's hand away from her. In the process of doing so, he grabs hold of her wrist and she's trapped in his hold. She glares at him the best she can through tear-filled eyes, but he just tugs on her arm, trying to get her onto her feet.

She turns to spit out one last mouthful of blood, hearing Medusa's sharp gasp at the sight, and allows herself to be pulled up. Holding onto Black Bolt, he helps her navigate her way across the ice patch until she's in Medusa's arms. She keeps her hands away from her sister, but can't help but feel safer in her arms.

"Council..." Triton warns lowly under his breath. Crystal peeks past Medusa's curtain of hair to see members of the Genetic Council appear at the end of the hallway. She doesn't want people to poke and prod her and, panicked, her hands light up in flames once more. Medusa has to jump back and the smell of burned hair only strengthens.

Crystal scurries backwards, instinct spurring her towards her corner again, but Black Bolt manages to catch her around the waist and send the council away with a sharp hand motion at the same time. She struggles against him, trying to escape without actually touching him. His grip around her only tightens while Gorgon catches her kicking legs, Medusa edges forward to rub her arm in a small form of comfort and finally Maximus, Triton and Karnak's small sounds of relief make her realize her hands are no longer on fire. Her body relaxes, exhausted from fighting if nothing else, and her head leans back against Black Bolt's shoulder in defeat.

Gorgon shakes his head as if in pity and drops her legs. In one fluid motion, she finds herself completely in Black Bolt's arms. She holds her hands out in front of her to watch for ice or flames, letting Medusa check her over like a mother hen while still being held by Black Bolt as though she was a child. But she wasn't a child anymore. No one who went through Terrigenesis was. It was the sign of adulthood. But, if hurting everyone was a sign of adulthood, Crystal would've much preferred to remain a child.

A new round of sobs hit her without warning. She just wanted her dog and her bed. But Lockjaw was gone and she'd probably burn her bed to ashes if she got anywhere near it.

"Let's take her to her room." Medusa whispers to Black Bolt and he carries her off. She lets him carry her, mostly because she wasn't sure she had the willpower to actually stand and walk on her own.

Before she knows it, she's set down on her familiar bed, albeit without the familiar dog. She curls up into a ball and Medusa is there to hug her once more, but it doesn't help that much. Crystal sucks in a shaky breath and then lets out a scream that hurts her throat, but makes her feels almost better.

She pretends she doesn't see Medusa jump or Black Bolt flinch for the first time since she'd known him. In return, no one is ever told how she nearly lost her mind that day.

* * *

It takes three weeks before she has control. In that time, she lit her room on fire fifteen times, turned her floor into ice eight times, caused a mini tornado in her room five times and somehow summoned lightning indoors twice.

Her family tried to help, as they had all once gathered around the different cousins and siblings during their own terrigenesis.

Medusa was there nearly all the time, either helping her gain control of her emotions or simply chatting away about useless things to take her mind off it all. Her hair suffered the most; Crystal wasn't sure she'd ever get that particular smell of burning, semi-sentient hair out of her room.

Karnak visited reguluarly until she accidently electrocuted him and both swore his heart had stopped for a good minute. She didn't see him against after that, but was told he was off having an existential crisis about death. She was also told not to worry, as Karnak had an existential crisis every week.

Gorgon came stomping in every day to remind her she'd gain control eventually and keep her up to date on the funniest things that had happened around the palace. Crystal learned that if there was anything that smelled worse than burning hair, it was burning _fur._

Triton came in to inform her that Gorgon had a new bald spot on his butt and that, yes, everyone was laughing about it.

Maximus came in to distract her with talk, though she hardly found talk of the Genetic Council and their newest outlook on dangerous Inhumans comforting, given her situation. She may or may not have faked a loss of control to get him out of the room. Her curtains paid the price, but he brought her a slice of cake to apologize for upsetting her later. Because of that, she regretted nothing.

Black Bolt helped the most, in his own odd way. He said nothing, as usual, didn't try to make her understand his hand motions and didn't even bring in paper to write on. He simply came, sat and listened. She sobbed, complained and recounted accidents until she was hoarse; he nodded along and listened intently the entire time. He didn't flinch when she made a wild gesture and accidentally set her bed on fire (for the tenth time), but merely got up, put the fire out and returned to his spot beside her.

After three weeks, Black Bolt came and pulled her out of her room. She fought tooth, nail and fireball to stay inside her sanctum, but he managed to wrestle her out into the hallway. She had to admit, the smell of fresh air was nice. She'd gotten too used to smoke and various burning materials.

He took her down to the open courtyard and pointed. She didn't even have to follow his motion to see the huge dog frolicking around ahead of her. Edging forward, she swallowed the lump in her throat and called out to him.

"Lockjaw?" The dog froze, spun around and then came barreling over to her at top speed. He skidded to a stop an few inches in front of her and began licking her. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?" She asked, burying her face in his neck. The happy panting and licking answered that question for her and she couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh.

Turning her head, she caught sight of a smiling Black Bolt, a rare thing indeed, and smiled for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Thank you."

* * *

When Crystal was nineteen years old, she felt as though her heart was breaking in two.

Triton was dead.

Gorgon was gone.

Karnak was gone.

Medusa was gone.

Black Bolt was gone.

Maximus was a traitor, a liar and a quite possibly a murderer.

Lockjaw was taken from her.

She was trapped in her room, only not by a loving sister or by herself, but by the man who had shattered her whole world in less than twenty-four hours.

Isolation and loneliness weighed down on her until she felt like she couldn't breath. She stood on her balcony, taking in deep, desperate breaths, and tried to calm herself. Even though all seemed lost now, she had felt that way before. Sooner or later, the air would change and be filled with hope once again. She had to believe that, or she had nothing left.

Crystal tried to keep her head high, like Medusa would do. Except Medusa hadn't held her head high last time she had seen her. She'd been on the ground, shaved, powerless, like a wounded animal. Crystal tried to force the thought of her head. Medusa would be alright. She was a survivor. Besides, she had Black Bolt.

Crystal looked out at the horizon and knew, with the certainty that one knew the sun would rise each morning, that things would be fixed. Her King, her _brother,_ would come for her or she would find her way to him. They would reunite with Medusa, with Gorgon, with Karnak, with Lockjaw... They would fix what Maximus, a man she'd trusted, a man they'd all trusted, had broken. And, some day, the King and Princess of Attilan would rule once more.


End file.
